Combination refrigerator, heater, ventilator, and humidifier



Jan 4 192 7 c. A. MOORE COMBINATION REFRIGERATOR, HEATER, VENTILATOR, AND HUMIDIFIER Original Filed J n- 1 2 2 Sheets-Shet 1 M, azz

1,612,827 1927' c. A. MOORE COMBINATION REFRIGERATOR, HEATER, VENTILATOR, AND HUMIDIFIER original Filed Jan. 22. 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i i 1 L H;

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. MOORE, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

COMBINATION REFRIGERATOR, HEATER, VENTILATOR, AND HUMIDIFIER.

Application filed. January 22, 1920, Serial No. 353,266. Renewed November 18, 1922. Serial No. 600,693.

This invention relates to improvements in a combined heater, ventilator, humidifier, and refrigerator, the primary object being to provide improved means for use in preserving and ripening bananas and in preserving fruits, vegetables and other perishable commodities in rooms, receptacles, cars and ships. My invention is designed to efficiently produce and maintain the normal condition in atmosphere and the proper temperature, humidity and ventilation for effectively accomplishing the results above mentioned.

With these and other objects in view, my invention comprises the features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Fig. 1 is an end elevation of in improved heating, ventilating and humi ifying element; Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the structureshown in Fig. 1, taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan of thestructure illustrated in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a typical section of a banana room showing my invention applied thereto, the arrows indicating the circulation of air which occurs when my invention is operating under the action of refrigeration, and Fig. 5 is another typical section of a provision chamber showing my invention applied thereto, and the arrows indicating the circulation of air which occurs when my invention is constructed without the use of a refrigerator and when it is operating under heating.

My invention includes the use of a refrigerator, a ventilator, a humidifier and a heater, but it is not essential withinthe spirit thereof, to always employ the refrigerator as in many cases the use of a refrigerator, such for instance when used in dwellings is not required. Referring to Fig.

4 I have illustrated the use of my invention in its entirety in which A' indicates a typical banana room having insulated walls 11, doorway 10, banana racks 12, banana supporting books 13 on said racks, and an overhead ice bunker-3' The bunker is constructed and placed with its side and end baffle walls 15 distanced from the sides of the room A and from its ceiling 16, so that air is adapted to circulate from the provision chamber below, upwardly over the sides and ice or' cooling coil 17 therein and downwardly through the center port of bunker and back into the provision chamber.

Arranged in the provision chamber or adacent thereto is my improved combined heater, ventilator and humidifier C, which is constructed in the following manner. An outer casing 20 contains a pair of vertical or upwardly extending ducts 21 and, 22, the upper portions of which are respectively surrounded by heating drums 23 and 24, the drum 23 being closed. at its 'upper end and opening into the casing at its lower end and the drum 24 being closed at both its upper and lower ends. The floor or wall 25 which closes the lower end of the drum 24 forms a horizontal partition across the entire outer casing 20 and is secured thereto by soldering or any other suitable means. This partition assists in supporting the ducts 21 and 22 and the drums 23 and 24. The ducts 21 and 22 are separated sufliciently in practice so that air in duct 22 will not be chilled to the extent that duct 21 will withdraw the fresh air immediately when it enters the structure through duct 22.

The duct 21 terminates near the lower end of the casing 20 and its lower end is closed by the closed liquid heating element 1) above which are three branches 26, 27 and 28, for purposes to be hereinafter described. The upper end of duct 21 extends above the casing and is adaptedto be closed by a hand operable damper 29 below which there is a branch 30 for purposes to be hereinafter described. The duct 22 depends from jacket 24 and terminates near but above the base 31, being provided with a hand operable damper 32, by which the lower end of the duct can be opened or closed or its passage regulated, The upper end of duct 22 extends above the casing 20 and is provided with a regulating damper 33 and a branch 34.

The liquid heating element D is connected by a returnpipe 35 with the bottom of the liquid container E formed by the casing 20 and floor 25, said pipe having a valved drain branch 36 by which liquid in container E can be drawn off or reduced when desired. The top of heating element D is provided with a conductor tube 37 rising through duct 21 and provided with an expansion tube 38 on its upper end through which vapor or steam is admitted into the duct and below which is an overflow branch 39 by which expanded liquid is circulated back into the water chamber E.

A heater F composed of a plurality of gas burners 40 or any other suitable heating means desired is arranged below the liquid heater D to heat the liquid such as water therein and form vapor or steam. The amount of heat can be regulated by the burners, so that the air in duct 21 can be moistened as desirable. This heater also heats the, air passing upwardly into the drums 23 and 2a, through the open lower end of drum 23. The upper ends of the drums 23 and 24 are connected by the short tube %1 and the duct 22 has port-passages 43 entering the lower portion of the drum 24 by which the vitiated air and gases from below the entire device and the burner are conducted into and by the duct 22 upwardly to the outer atmosphere. The structure surrounded by the casing 20 is supported on the base 31 b the skeleton frame 44 and the base being ormed with a catch basin t5 pipe 48 being indicated above the device for that purpose.

Tn the application of my invention to a provision chamber in which the refrigerator bunker B is used as shown in Fig. 4, the duct 21 is arranged adjacent to the bunker and is made to terminate near the ceiling of the provision chamber above the refrigerant or refrigerating coil 17. The duct 22 is led up at one side of the bunker and terminates near the ceiling above the refrigerant. When the invention is used while the room is used under refrigeration, that is the air is cooled by the refrigerant in the bunker and it is desired to conduct moisture. away so that dry cold air is circulated throughout the provision chamber, outside fresh air enters the duct 22 through an inleading tube 51 from a down draft flue 52 in a side wall 11 in the room structure. From the duct 22,

. outside air passes upwardly over the refrigernat, damper 33 being opened and damper 32 closed, and is thence circulated down through the bunker center port. after being dehumidifiedand its temperature reduced. This chilled air diffuses into the atmosphere and circulates down the central portion of the room and returns upwardly over the walls and along the ceiling. and is taken from the room by duct 21 by removing stopper 56 and expelled outwardly through branch 26, which is extended through one of the side walls of the room. The cold air thus entering the structure and thence cooled by the refrigerant has the fleet of forcing the warmer air outwardly through duct 21. In this operation the lower end of duct 22 is closed by damper 32, and the branches 27 and 28 are closed by stoppers 53 and 54:. If it=is now desired to operate without refrigeration the circulation will continue unless the temperature in the room is the same as the outside temperature. If it is desired to operate under heat, without refrigeration, the receptacle E is kept full of water or other liquid and the burner F operated. Branches 27 and 28 are kept closed and dampers 32, 55 and 29 are opened and damper 33 is closed. The branch 34 is also closed by a suitable stopper. During this operation fresh air is admitted through branch 26, past damper 55 and passes upwardly through duct 21 and is heated by the burner F, and propelled upwardly into the 11 permost stratum of air in the room. s it passes the expansion tube 38, it is humidified y the vapor or steam arising from the superheater D, the water in receptacle E being first heated by the gases arising from the burner and passing through the drums 23 and 24. The warm moist air from the duct 21 circulates in the manner indicated byarrows in Fig. 5, the-air passing along the ceiling. thence downwardly over the walls of the room. as it is cooled to the fioor.- From the floor the air of reduced temeprature and vitiated is conducted out of the room and ejected outside by duct 22, tube 51 and flue 52. Should the percentage of humidity in the room become too high, the same can be lowered by opening damper 33, whereby the upper stratum of air near the ceiling is conducted from the room.

leaving properly tempered atmosphere in the room. This last operation causes the humidified and heated air as well as the coldest and vitiated air in the room to traverse through duct 22, tube 51 and flue 52 to the outside. When the desired percentage of humidity and heat is reached the damper 33 can then be closed. As a result the percentageof humidified air of proper temperature can be maintained efficiently in the room for ripening bananas and preserving other fruit and commodities that require a natural condition of atmosphere.

In Fig. 5 my invention is shown applied in use when a refrigerator is not employed. the arrows indicating the circulation of air during its operation. In this mode of operation'the ducts are applied in substantially the same manner for use under heating, ventilating and humidifying as in the structure shown in Fig. 4. The apparatus above set forth is very flexible for use under varying conditions of the atmosphere whereby a uniform percentage of humidity and degrees of heat can be maintained. thus establishing a more natural condition of the atmosphere which will prolong and sustain the vitality of the products.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: i a

l. A room structure having in combination therewith, an air ingress duct leading upwardly into said structure from the outside, a second duct leading outwardly from the lower portion of the structure adapted to conduct vitiated air from within the structure, a casing forming a. vaporizing liquid holding receptacle through which said ingress duct passes, a liquid container forming a superheaterconnected with said receptacle to receive liquid therefrom and means for heating said receptacle and superheater, said superheater having a steam and vapor outlet into said ingress duct, for the purposes specified.

2. A room structure having in combination therewith, an air ingress duct leading upwardly into said structure from the outside, a second duct leading outwardly from the lower portion of the structure adapted to conduct vitiated air from within the structure, a drum structure enveloping a portion of said ducts, a vaporizing liquid holding receptacle through which said drum enveloped ducts pass, said drunr structure having an inlet opening in one portion and an outlet into said second duct, a liquid superheater connected with said receptacle and opening into said inlet duct to admit luunidifying medium into said ingress duct, and a heater below said superheater and inlet opening adapted to heat the superheater, the air entering said drum structure, the wall of said air ingress duct and the wall of said liquid container, for the purposes specified.

3. A device of the class set forth, comprising, in combination a casing forming a liquid container an updraft duct through said container for fresh air, a second updraft duct through said container for vitiated air, a drum structure enveloping portions of said ducts in said receptacle and having an opening entering its lower rtion adjacent to said fresh air updraft not and a vent opening into said second duct, a superheater adjacent to the open end of said drum structure included in a connecting loop from the body of said container and returning thereto, said loop passing upwardly through said updraft duct and having an open expansion device above the level of the liquid in said container and a heater below the entering opening in said drum structure and said superheater.

4. A room structure having in combination therewith, a refrigerator battle and bunker, a duct leading into said structure downwardly from outside and having two extremities in the room one opening near the ceiling and the other opening near the floor of the room structure, to permit the ingress or egress of atmosphere at its two extremities, another duct in said room structure opening near the ceiling and extending downwardly and outwardly to the outer atmosphere, and valve means for.regulating and directing the circulation of air through said ducts to ventilate the room structure under varying conditions of the atmosphere therein. i

In testimony whereof,I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES A. MOORE. 

